I'm glad I've stayed in Cairo for the Eid el Adha. Last year I took these days off to explore the Athenian Riots...er, I mean Ruins; but since this year the Eid coincided with TURKEY DAY (see previous post) and I was hell-bent on hosting Thanksgiving, I decided to stick around.
Sticking around was the right thing to do. For starters, my landlord has upgraded our building. There is now a buzzer. This is huge. When I would have a party before, every few minutes I would be running down to let folks in. No more, dear friends, now I can buzz you in! *squee*
Second, Thanksgiving. 'nuff said.
Next, there was waking up to the braying of sheep on Friday morning. Followed by the mostly all-day sound of ... er, well, it was like hammering, but that's not what it was. The sheep had been quieted by then. Still, delicious smells of cooking and celebrations in the streets!
Yesterday, I got to tool around Rd 9 with T and then went to the movies with another friend to see Twilight: New Moon (with apparently every other person in Cairo). Now, I have some issues with Twilight and the [emotional control] relationship Edward has with Bella; but it's still good candy in the cheesy vampire-werewolf-teen-love-triangle arena. Also, it was a two cappuccino day: I love two cappuccino days! Then, I came home to find ANOTHER wedding on the street. While the music was a bit loud this time (window rattling loud) it's still always so much fun to come home to these celebrations livening up the otherwise quiet street.
This afternoon I get to participate in one of my favorite Cairo traditions (if something you are doing for only the second time can be called a tradition): Christmas shopping in the Khan-el-Khalili. The weather is perfect - chilly and sunshiny. I'm taking my camera. There will be pictures, and cool presents for a certain brother, a certain sister-in-law, a bff's husband, and a very dear friend for whom a stuffed stocking over the mantle piece is always in order. This is actually the tail-end of the xmas shopping that I started in August, because that's how I roll.
So, with all this stuff, all these things I love going on, and the fact that I've already told my school, I guess it's safe to publicly announce that I'm sticking around Cairo another year. el hamdulleleh!
All photographs were taken by, and are copyright of, the blogger.
29 November 2009
27 November 2009
Turkey Day!
There is so much that has happened in the last month, so many posts to catch up on; Darb 1718, Rome, Eid al Adha (which ends today): instead I would like to write about TURKEY DAY!
I've had 4 Thanksgivings overseas. Two with Awesome Amy in her international posts in Guatemala City (where I made my first turkey) and Bologna (where we couldn't find turkey), and two in Cairo. Last year the secondary staff had to work on Thanksgiving, so two friends from primary made a turkey for a few of the American staff (who were, not surprisingly, in a snit over working on turkey day). Additionally, I headed downtown for dessert with Awesome Arvis (introduced to me through Awesome Amy!) and a cast of assembled expats.
This year, after T made an inspection of my oven and declared it cook-ready, and showed me how to light it (of course there's no electric starter), I invited an assemblage of British, American, Bahamian and Egyptian friends over for dinner. A 7 kilo turkey purchase, multiple trips to Rd 9 for veg and plates and wine, and a potato debate later, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 10 guests (with T's help!) - we all just fit around the dining room table and got filled to the brim with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams (with marshmallows on top), corn, broccoli, peas, yorkshire puddings, and, most importantly, Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce (I have serious brand loyalty in this arena).
Sure I dropped the pan and spilt turkey juice all over the floor; but that was bound to happen, things were going far too smoothly.
The yorkshire puddings, candied yams, pecan pie, applecaramel crisp, cake, brownies and port (and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!) were all provided by my amazing guests. I couldn't have asked for more interesting, lively, and fun company. I love my Cairene family and friends.
I've had 4 Thanksgivings overseas. Two with Awesome Amy in her international posts in Guatemala City (where I made my first turkey) and Bologna (where we couldn't find turkey), and two in Cairo. Last year the secondary staff had to work on Thanksgiving, so two friends from primary made a turkey for a few of the American staff (who were, not surprisingly, in a snit over working on turkey day). Additionally, I headed downtown for dessert with Awesome Arvis (introduced to me through Awesome Amy!) and a cast of assembled expats.
This year, after T made an inspection of my oven and declared it cook-ready, and showed me how to light it (of course there's no electric starter), I invited an assemblage of British, American, Bahamian and Egyptian friends over for dinner. A 7 kilo turkey purchase, multiple trips to Rd 9 for veg and plates and wine, and a potato debate later, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 10 guests (with T's help!) - we all just fit around the dining room table and got filled to the brim with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams (with marshmallows on top), corn, broccoli, peas, yorkshire puddings, and, most importantly, Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce (I have serious brand loyalty in this arena).
Sure I dropped the pan and spilt turkey juice all over the floor; but that was bound to happen, things were going far too smoothly.
The yorkshire puddings, candied yams, pecan pie, applecaramel crisp, cake, brownies and port (and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!) were all provided by my amazing guests. I couldn't have asked for more interesting, lively, and fun company. I love my Cairene family and friends.
23 November 2009
You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile!
This week Operation Smile is doing a mission in Cairo and I've been chaperoning our student volunteers at the hospital.
If you don't already know this, I've always had a serious issue with hospitals. It's a place of needles and death. But this was different, hospitals are now, for me, a place of smiles and hope.
We went to the hospital to keep happy and occupied children just going in to or coming out of surgery - and to speak to their mothers and families, some of whom had been at the hospital for days awaiting their surgery. Mothers confided in us, children giggled, laughed and played with our student volunteers who were as taken with the children as the children were with them.
I could only communicate minimally with the families - in my pidgin Arabic which I really need to develop; however I was able to act as a guide for my students through what for many of them was their first volunteer experience, and help in small ways.
I also met really great and interesting people. A big shout-out to Kholoud and Esperons (who flew in all the way from NYC at the last minute to volunteer in her home country of Egypt!) - two great volunteers I enjoyed spending time with at the hospital. I also met a veiled woman who is a beautician and hairdresser, but only for other women who have taken up the full black hijab and abaya. She told my students she makes her clients pretty like their non-Egyptian teacher (me) - which they were a bit embarassed to tell me (and I was a bit embarrassed to hear!) She also asked them why I wasn't married - the only response I could think of in Arabic was "Ana Amerikaya" - I'm American, which I said jokingly; as if that excused my spinsterhood. The woman then vowed to find me a good husband - insh'allah!
But most important, and most memorable, were the beautiful children - their smiles (before and after surgery) were worth all the time in the world.
If you don't already know this, I've always had a serious issue with hospitals. It's a place of needles and death. But this was different, hospitals are now, for me, a place of smiles and hope.
We went to the hospital to keep happy and occupied children just going in to or coming out of surgery - and to speak to their mothers and families, some of whom had been at the hospital for days awaiting their surgery. Mothers confided in us, children giggled, laughed and played with our student volunteers who were as taken with the children as the children were with them.
I could only communicate minimally with the families - in my pidgin Arabic which I really need to develop; however I was able to act as a guide for my students through what for many of them was their first volunteer experience, and help in small ways.
I also met really great and interesting people. A big shout-out to Kholoud and Esperons (who flew in all the way from NYC at the last minute to volunteer in her home country of Egypt!) - two great volunteers I enjoyed spending time with at the hospital. I also met a veiled woman who is a beautician and hairdresser, but only for other women who have taken up the full black hijab and abaya. She told my students she makes her clients pretty like their non-Egyptian teacher (me) - which they were a bit embarassed to tell me (and I was a bit embarrassed to hear!) She also asked them why I wasn't married - the only response I could think of in Arabic was "Ana Amerikaya" - I'm American, which I said jokingly; as if that excused my spinsterhood. The woman then vowed to find me a good husband - insh'allah!
But most important, and most memorable, were the beautiful children - their smiles (before and after surgery) were worth all the time in the world.
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